Bib apron



E. W. MAZARS BIB APRON April 15 1924. 1,490,121

Filed May 31 1922 Janie 11134",

Emily WMzzars;

Patented Apr. 15, 1924.

OFFICE.

EMILY W. MAZABS, O'F SUFFIELD, CONNECTICUT; EMMIE A. LABAREE LOVE-LL EX- ECUTRIX OF SAID EMILY W. IIIAZARS, DECEASED.

B1B APRON.

Application filed May 31, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMILY MAzARs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Suffield, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bib Aprons, of which the following is a specification.

. A bib apron is one wherein suificient material extends above the waist line to protect the, dress waist of the wearer. -When the so-called tea apron is worn, the dress or waist is usually of fine fabrics, such as silk, georgette and other expensive material, designed to be worn on dress occasions, such as church suppers, club affairs, afternoon teas and other social events.

Another style of bib apron is the one worn by housewives and domestics in work aboutthe house, and is made larger and of less expensive material than the other. 7

The same objection is found with each, however, that of requiring some additional means for retaining the bib portion of the apron in place. A means employed for the kitchen apron is either a tape or belt adapted to be slipped over the head and around the neck. This is awkward to put on and to take off, frequently catching in the hair, and being extremely vexing when in a hurry to make the change. This strap is liable also to exert an uncomfortable pressure and drawing up on the back of the neck.

Another means consists of straps passing over the shoulders and down to the waist line. These are also quite uncomfortable, the straps slipping off from the shoulders and down upon the arms, and badlyinterfering with their free use.

A third method consists in pinning the bib portions to the dress waist. This is also 0bjectionable because of the delay occasioned in pinning the two extremes of the bib portion, not to mention the time and bother so often required in finding the two pins required. Further, the wearer is liable to scratch her hand upon the pins during her work, or to hurt a child which she may take in her lap.

For the tea aprons, any neck or shoulder straps are never used, and pins are the only means employed for keeping the bib portions in place. Here, the above objections thereto are multiplied by the character of the fabrics employed in th garments worn on social occasions. If the gown or shirt Serial No. 584,921.

waist is composed of silk, the pinning thereto of a bib even once leaves visible prioks' the home. While this is true when the wearer is sitting or standing in a natural position, it is greatly exaggerated when she stoops or leans over.

The object of my invention is the effecting of means for holding the bibportion in place entirely without the use of pins or straps, and without further action than the fastening about the waist of the customary apron strings or belt, while at the same time retaining the bib snug and unwrinkled.

To this end I provide a means for not only stiffening the bib so that it will not fold down, but for so applying the same that the action of the waist strap or belt will keep the stiffening material from swinging away from the bust.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Fig. 1 is a view of the back of a bib apron embodying one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the same. Fig. 3 is a face view of another construction of the bib supporting means.

The reference numeral 1 designates the body portion of an apron, and 2 the bib portion here illustrated as curved in an ornamental manner, so that in place of abrupt corners are the semi-circles 3. Such form is in no way essential to my invention, however. Attached at its ends at to the waist line of the apron is a supporting belt 5, which is preferably doubled on itself to con stitute a pocket 6 extending for its entire length, and opening upward.

Along the top margin of the bib portion 2 is a hem or a doubled fold 7 opening downward, and which may also extend its entire length. The only object in having these pockets 6 and 7 open their entire ladies want, both on dress occasions and in lengths is for receiving the form of stifi'ening element 9 shown in Fig. 3; but otherwise the pocket 6 need only be open for a short distance at its mid-length, and the pocket 7 at points near its ends.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 1, I provide two bones or steels 10 of well known form, designed to be terminally engaged with the pockets 6 and 7, their lower ends entering the central depressed section 11 of the pocket 6, and their upper ends entering the widely separated sections 12 of the upper pocket 7. These steels can be easily sprung into the pockets and removed therefrom, to enable the apron to be washed and ironed, but when in place there is no danger oftheir accidentally dropping out, either in use or when being folded and put away.

To the points 1 of the apron are attached the strings or belts 13 by which the apron is secured in place on its wearer, and which may be of well known construction.

As soon as the apron is thus tied in place, the pull of its strings 13 is communicated along its waist line from point to point 4, 4, which line of compression being above the lower ends of the steels 10, which are themselves resisted by the body of the wearer, their upper ends are accordingly pressed inward against the bust portion, thereby ensuring a snug fit of the bib against the same. Further, the V-spread of the two steels serves to press the bib sections 12 apart, and thus maintain the bib in a trig and unwrinkled condition laterally as well as vertically.

I prefer to have the lower pocket-strap 5 attached to the apron at its ends alone in order to permit the portion of the apron immediately in front of the pocket section 11 to swing free thereof and to preserve a more graceful hang of the apron than would otherwise be the case.

In place of the two separate steels 10, I may employ a single stiffening element 9 composed of any suitable material, as thin celluloid, heavily starched fabric, or the like, having its outline cut to conform to that of the bib and the two pockets, but sprung into the latter and removed therefrom in a substantially like manner as are the steels.

Thus made, these bib aprons can be fastened to the wearer without further attention than is the bibless apron, and still its bibs will retain themselves in place snugly and smoothly and without the slightest danger of falling.

Although I have described my invention as applicable to bib aprons, it is equally adaptable to certain other articles of wearing apparel. For instance, it can be arranged for the support of brassieres and corset. covers without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A bib garment comprising a body portion, securing means attached to the body portion at substantially the waist line of the latter, a bib portion rising therefrom, and a stiffening element held at its upper portion by the upper margin of said bib and having its lower portion extended below said waist line, whereby the tension on said waist line presses said element toward the body of the wearer.

2. A bib garment comprising a body portion having securing means attached to the marginal portions of the waist line of said body portion, a bib rising therefrom, and a flexibly resilient element held at its upper portion by the upper margin of said bib, and having its lower portion extended below said waist line.

3. A bib garment comprising a body portion having securing means attached to the marginal portions of the waist line of said body portion, a bib rising from said body portion, a strap attached at its ends to the points of attachment of said tapes, and a flexibly resilient elongated element terminally held by the upper margin of said bib and by the midlength of said strap, said midlength being lower than its ends.

4. A bib garment comprising a body portion adapted to be fastened about the waist line of the wearer, a strap terminally attached to marginal portions of the waist line of said garment, said strap being lower at its midlength than its ends and having an upwardly open pocket at its midlength, a bib rising from said body portion and having downwardly open pockets at its upper margins, and a pair of steels terminally held in said pockets.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing invention, I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of May, 1922.

EMILY W MAZARS. 

